Doug Harding here's what I can share,oldest to newest points. All CBQ OR BN so
not sure if you can use any of it for the CNW HS. Just a bunch of rambling
bullet points.
R.R Repetto talked about stock yard deliveries to the Union Stock yards by road
crews. He also talked about the fall feeders being delivered all over for
winter fattening by local farmers.
Bones Mathers used to tell the story of being ordered for a sheep yard extra
switch job at Montgomery to unload a large number of cars of stock only to be
buried under more set outs while they were unloading the first batch.
As a youngster I remember seeing switch engines coming from Montgomery to Eola
with strings of empty stock cars.
Somewhere in the "Leo Phillipp" collection is a large journal from the
Montgomery stock yard detailing stock arrivals, who they were for,how many head
were "down" or "dead" ,frt charges,etc.
My personal recollections,enhanced by a review of my time books and diaries
from the 70s are:
Last load of stock I was involved in was on #98 on 10//28/78 as a Condr. Four
cars set out on the sheep yard lead at Montgomery.
I recall clearly working an eastbound freight out of Savanna as a head brakeman
and being advised the stock was to be set out and spotted at Polo. It was on
short time and if the stockmen were not there when we arrived I was to unload
the 2 cars of stock. My recollection was it was a cold,rainy,Windy,miserable
November night. I had no idea how to unload stock or any desire to try to do so
in the driving rain. Much to my consternation as we pulled into Polo and the
head end went by the stock yard all was dark with not a soul around. The old
head hogger looked over at me in pity and said,looks like you'll have to unload
them.
As we shoved back in toward the stock yard headlights appeared and then trucks
and men to handle the livestock. What a relief ! I spotted the cars. Asked if
the men would handle it from here and receiving a positive answer wasted no
time getting out of town.
I also recall several cold nights hanging onto the side of a stock car eastward
from Hurds Island in Aurora up past Aurora tower and then west all the way back
to the sheep yard lead. I have no doubt that were times when it was warm or
sunny when this chore took place. But the ones I remember the clearest were
bitter,bitter cold and looking at the cows in the cars wondering what they must
feel like and how they survived.
I remember looking at stock way bills from out west and thinking how did the RR
make any money at $300 or $500 a carload with all the extra handling the stock
required. During the same time I had been recently looking at waybills for $2
and $3,000 for Catepillar equipment moves that didn't need any special
attention.
According to the Santa Fe group sight the ICC agreed to terminate rail stock
moves on 2/27/74.
Per the site BN moves continued until 1978 per an agreement with Montana
ranchers that dated to NP days. The final straw was a pulled drawbar that also
brought out the end of a loaded stock car allowing livestock to wonder the ROW.
I recall stock coming into Savanna by rail to the stock yard and then being
trucked from there. Always seemed to be in the fall and winter.
The last active stock yards on the C&I were Milledgeville and Polo.
My experience was that Stock was always on the head end for ease of handling.
In the summer of 1974 I worked a yard switch relief job that filled in for the
regular Aurora depot engine on Sat and Sun nights. Needless to say we were
gearing for early quits as there wasn't much to do w/o a dinky rush. Once we
placed the eastbound dinky equipment from the Hill yard at the depot for the
7:25PM run, did a couple a couple frt jobs around the shops and town, the
foreman would get on the phone to Aurora tower. If there were no eastbound
trains with stock to set out at the sheep yard we were gone in a flash.
Maybe you can help me. I am looking for info on LaFox,IL and the CNW operations
there. I've been told by guys who knew first hand this was the CNW version of
the Q's Montgomery operation. I recall seeing pictures in the old,long gone La
Fox general store. I've been told that like Montgomery there was a hotel in La
Fox which was identical to the one in Nelson. I'd love to do a lines article if
there is info available
Guess,as usual, I got a little longer than just bullet points.
Leo Phillipp
Sent from my iPad
------------------------------------
Posted by: Leo <qutlx1@aol.com>
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
Yahoo Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
CBQ-digest@yahoogroups.com
CBQ-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo Groups is subject to:
https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/
|